PROGRAM NOTES

Gabriela Ortiz - Alejandrías Sonoras for solo flute (2011)   

1. Justine

2. Balthazar

3. Mountolive

4. Cloe

Alejandrías Sonoras is a set of four short movements for unaccompanied flute, inspired by the four novels of The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell (late 1950s). Set in Alexandria, Egypt before and during World War II, the novels examine memory, shifting perspective, and the inner lives of interconnected characters.

Each movement represents one character from the series, exploring a distinct emotional world. Ortiz concludes each movement with an invitation for the flutist to improvise freely on the themes just heard, allowing the performer to contribute their own perspective — becoming part of the narrative fabric of the piece. 

Born into a musical family in Mexico City, Gabriela Ortiz often says she did not choose music — music chose her. Her parents were founding members of Los Folkloristas, a renowned ensemble dedicated to Latin American folk traditions. Alongside performing charango and guitar with her family, she studied classical piano and later composition with Mexican composers Mario Lavista, Federico Ibarra, and Daniel Catán. She continued her studies in Europe, earning a master’s degree from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Robert Saxton and a doctorate in composition and electronic music from City University London under Simon Emmerson.

Ortiz’s music merges traditional and popular idioms with avant-garde techniques and multimedia elements. While she continues to draw inspiration from Mexican culture, her work speaks powerfully to international audiences. In 2025, her portrait album Revolución diamantina, recorded by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel, won three GRAMMY Awards, including Best Contemporary Classical Composition.

AS YOU LISTEN:
Consider which character (Justine, Balthazar, Mountolive, or Cloe)
might embody these qualities:

-secretive, conspiratorial, full of intrigue 
-deeply expressive, emotional, seductive 
-cerebral, restrained, colder
-transformative, reflective, seeking resolution

Kevin Puts - Moonlight Concerto, flute/piano version (2017/18)

1. Moonlight

2. Folly

Written in the wake of the 2016 presidential election, Moonlight Concerto reflects a period of upheaval and disillusionment. Puts found renewed inspiration during a cross-country flight when he encountered the 2016 film Moonlight in the in-flight entertainment guide. The film’s quiet compassion and humanity in the face of hardship stayed with him and became a source of hope.

A Pulitzer Prize and GRAMMY Award–winning composer, Kevin Puts is known for his “plush, propulsive” music (The New York Times) and has been described by Opera News as “a master polystylist.” His works have been commissioned and performed by leading organizations including the Metropolitan Opera, the Philadelphia Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, and Minnesota Opera, among others.

AS YOU LISTEN:
Notice the quiet, nocturnal triplets in the piano at the opening, imagine a solitary voice under moonlight. Pay attention to waves of grief, longing, and eventual resilience in the two movements.

Laura Lentz - Op. 75: After Koechlin for 2 flutes and drone (2025)

This duet draws on the warmth of the Lydian mode to evoke the lush harmonies, atmospheric textures, and expressive lyricism characteristic of French composer Charles Koechlin (1867–1950). The first movement of his Sonata for Two Flutes, Op. 75 — with its fluid interplay and color-rich sound world — was a direct inspiration for this piece. The drone for this work was created by Rochester, NY composer and pianist, Sean William Calhoun.

AS YOU LISTEN:
Imagine the luminous warmth of the Lydian mode. What colors come to mind? How does the music and/or sound world of the drone express or deepen this warmth?

Laura Lentz - Resonance, 3 pieces for 3 flutes and drone (2026)

These pieces explore listening, vulnerability, and hope.

Listen, also draws inspiration from the writings of Robin Wall Kimmerer, reflecting on listening as an act of generosity and reciprocity.

Let your heart break (so your spirit doesn’t) is inspired by the words of poet Andrea Gibson, and speaks to emotional honesty and staying present with grief. 

Unfolding draws on the hopeful realism of Rebecca Solnit — a reminder that hope is not certainty, but the willingness to continue.

The drones for this work were created by Rochster, NY composer and pianist, Sean William Calhoun. 

AS YOU LISTEN:
What do you notice? How does the music and/or sound world of the drone shape or deepen the emotional world of each movement?

Marc Mellits - Discrete Structures, flute and piano (2024)

Movements:
1) Circle Structure
2) Red Structure
3) Survival Structure
4) Gold Structure
5) Blue Structure
6) Tight Structure
7) Clock Structure
8) Liquid Structure
9) Shiny Structure
10) Square Structure

A set of ten interconnected miniatures, Discrete Structures is built from shared musical material that evolves from movement to movement. Each section completes or reframes ideas heard before — sometimes retrospectively, sometimes anticipatorily.

Some movements reflect personal experiences, such as Survival Structure, inspired by an encounter with a homeless girl reading philosophy in Bucharest. Others transform material metaphorically — a wooden clock becomes gold, then melts into liquid. Serendipity — joyful or unsettling — shapes the work’s unfolding connections.

Marc Mellits is an American composer known for his rhythmically charged, architecturally clear music. Drawing on influences from minimalism, rock, and contemporary classical traditions, his work often features propulsive energy and layered repetition.

His music has been commissioned and performed by major ensembles including Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Kronos Quartet, and Eighth Blackbird, and is heard widely across North America and Europe.

AS YOU LISTEN:
Notice how material repeats in unexpected ways. Where do you hear transformation? What feels serendipitous? 

AT THE FINAL CONCERT (3:30PM)

Laura Lentz - Montebello for 2 or more flutes and drone (2025)

The final recital will include a performance of Laura’s piece, Montebello. Montebello (Beautiful mountain) takes its name from Via Montebello, the street in Bologna, Italy, where this piece was written in summer 2025. Inspired by Terry Riley’s minimalist piece In C, this rhythm-driven piece invites players to explore the Locrian mode through short, repeating rhythmic cells and drive. This piece is for two or more players, and everyone is invited to join!

It’s FAST!

BIOS

Laura Lentz is a flutist, composer, and teaching artist drawn to listening, curiosity,  and discovery. The author of Modal Flute Warmup, her work spans performance, collaboration, and teaching — engaging audiences while empowering musicians and artists to explore their own voice.

Known for her expressive playing and vibrant curiosity, she has commissioned, premiered, and recorded a wide range of new works, many written specifically for her. Her solo recordings include commissioned music by Missy Mazzoli, Marc Mellits, and JacobTV. Her performances have been featured on Performance Today and praised for their “striking, meticulous flute playing” (Take Effect) and “enviable control and supple phrasing” (Sequenza21).

As a founding flutist and Artistic Director of the new music ensemble fivebyfive, as well as through her solo projects, Lentz creates performances that bring new music into dialogue with visual art, science, movement, and community spaces. All her programming is created with the aim of inviting audiences to listen deeply, feel moved, and connect with the experience of today’s chamber music. In 2025, she received support from the Netherlands America Foundation and the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts, culminating in her recording Serendipity. Other projects have been supported by New Music USA, Chamber Music America, and the New York State Council on the Arts.

An active teacher and mentor, Lentz currently teaches at Nazareth University, maintains a thriving private studio, and leads masterclasses and workshops at festivals, conferences, and institutions worldwide. Across all her teaching, she encourages artists to trust their instincts and cultivate their creative voices.

Born in Malta, Helga Swatzak is a collaborative pianist, chamber musician, and educator based in Madison, WI. She came to the US pursuing studies at Luther College in Iowa and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, obtaining degrees in Piano Performance and Musicology. Helga performs as a collaborative pianist and chamber musician. She has taught music in schools, is a Licensed Kindermusik Educator, and owner of The PianoPath Music Studio, where she teaches students of all ages.